Consumer perception of Cotton Sustainability in the Fashion Industry

Sustainability within the cotton industry is an important issue because the current methods of growing cotton is causing a number of issues in society. Because of the increased amount of pesticides being used in the cultivation of cotton, humans are now at greater risk for developing serious health issues including but not limited to, suppression of immune system, blood and liver disease, asthma, and depression. Along with this negative impact on human life, this unnatural cultivation of land is negatively impacting the surrounding ecosystems. Since beginning the use of genetically modified cotton, farmlands are no longer able to provide habitat for its original plants and animals and the remaining habitats are fragmented into isolated pieces, which are too small to secure the continued existence of the natural ecosystem. The purpose of this research is to identify consumer knowledge and opinion on sustainability of cotton within the fashion industry. The benefit of conducting this research is to spread consumer awareness of the current methods of growing cotton. To achieve our goal, we will: 1. Analyze apparel consumers’ comments on multiple social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter and Youtube. We will accomplish this goal using the Content Analysis method. 2. Evaluate marketing efforts currently being used by the cotton industry by researching current advertisements and blogs. 3. Collect and review research efforts and existing scientific evidence relevant to consumers’ concerns about genetically engineered cotton and how it is affecting the fashion industry.